Pauline Adamek
Newly posted! Reviews for Stage Raw of:
Lost Moon Radio Presents Million Dollar Hair
The Lost Moon Radio kids have done it again, serving up a screamingly funny, pitch perfect musical parody entitled Million Dollar Hair. This new and hilarious musical spoof show purportedly celebrates the life and death of fictional music industry icon Bernie Schonfeld. We learn all about the dodgy career of this “legendary” record producer and music mogul as we attend a tribute concert hosted by his meek and somewhat neglected daughter January Schonfeld (Leslie Korein).
Stumbling over big words such as “entrepreneurial” and “cacophony,” our sweet narrator haltingly outlines her father’s early life. (He was “the son of Czechoslovakian immigrants.”) A slide show of awkward family portraits and embarrassing (faux) album covers soon builds a picture of a music producer who had his finger on the pulse of the worst trends of the seventies, eighties and nineties. Through his label ‘Million Dollar Records,’ over the decades Bernie’s fortunes rose and fell.
The show unfolds as a parade of Bernie’s artists take to the stage — all of questionable talent. The remaining five cast members adopt different outfits and personae to portray various singers. We meet Terry Chivers (“Bernie’s first success story,”) who through a frozen grin sings his hit tune Living with Lockjaw.
The lyrics are riotous, beautifully building the central theme of each parody tune until you’re virtually rolling in the aisles. Dan Oster plays C. J. Throttle — a posturing rock star reminiscent of both David Lee Roth and Bret Michaels. In his rock hit Staycation lyrics include “I’m gonna pay all my bills with the cash I save, Gonna get my tan from the microwave…” It’s hilarious stuff.
All of the songs are clever sound-alikes of everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Alanis Morisette to prepubescent pop tarts. We hear tragic power ballads, rock tunes, a deliberately monotonous German techno dance track (a robotic tribute to ‘making love’), a percussive and carnivalesque Eastern European ditty, even a country rock song about – uh – self love entitled Beautiful Face in the Mirror. When January takes to the stage to regale us with the title track from her debut (and only) album It Isn’t Not Always This Way (sic) that she made her Dad release when she was 20, it’s actually a really fantastic tune despite it being a shrewd parody of those introspective and wistful girly solo guitar pop songs that you’ve heard people like Lisa Loeb release. The call and response participation that Leslie Korein as January elicits from the audience is a highlight of a super fun night.
A program note attributed to Bernie Schonfeld, “When I die, there better be a fuckin’ concert” kind of says it all…
Lost Moon Radio Presents Million Dollar Hair is a fantastic show where the humor and performances are perfectly pitched, so props to co-writer and director Lauren Ludwig and producer Monica Miklas. Book is by Frank Smith, Ryan Harrison and Lauren Ludwig. Music and lyrics are by Dylan Ris, Mikey Wells, Ryan Harrison, Lauren Flans with lyrics also contributed by Frank Smith and music also contributed by Brenton Kossak.
Live performance is from band members Dylan Ris, Brenton Kossak, Dan Wessels and Eric Kalver.
Do not miss this show!
Lost Moon Radio Presents Million Dollar Hair
65 mins
Four performances remain:
Saturday June 21 2014, 9:45 PM
Sunday June 22 2014, 5:30 PM
Friday June 27 2014, 8:00 PM
Saturday June 28 2014, 5:30 PM
Through June 28, 2014 in the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Check its official listing for reservations and information.
Linden Arden Stole the Highlights– previously reviewed here.
Elephant Studio/Theatre Asylum,
6320 Santa Monica Blvd.
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Check its official listing for reservations and information.
Sex, Lies and Social Media– previously reviewed here.
Elephant Studio/Theatre Asylum,
6320 Santa Monica Blvd.
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Check its official listing for reservations and information.
Lysistrata by Aristophanes – previously reviewed here.
Adapted by Savage Players
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Featuring Caleb Austin, Anne Elizabeth Butler, Lauren Dunagan, Julia Keefe, Cassandra E. Nwokah, Angelique Robinson, and Colin Simon
“The Other Space” at The Actors Company
916 A North Formosa Ave.,
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Check its official listing for reservations and information.
The Wake written and performed by Ben Moroski – previously reviewed here.
Directed by Nick Massouh.
Elephant Studio Theatre
1076 Lillian Way
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Check its official listing for reservations and information.
Man’s Dominion by David Castro – previously reviewed here.
Pachyderm Productions at Elephant Studio/Theatre Asylum,
6320 Santa Monica Blvd.
Through June 28, 2014 in the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Check its official listing for reservations and information.
Friends Like These by Greg Crafts – previously reviewed here.
Theatre Unleashed at Theatre Asylum’s Elephant Space,
6320 Santa Monica Blvd.,
Through June 28, 2014 in the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Check its official listing for reservations and information.
